The present invention relates to a record/playback apparatus that records a televised program to a disk-shaped recording medium such as a DVD or a HD, and plays the program recorded on the recording medium.
Conventionally, record/playback apparatuses that receive televised programs and record the received programs to disk-shaped recording media such as DVD (digital versatile disk) or HD (hard disk), and that play programs recorded on recording media are in widespread use. There are also record/playback apparatuses capable of recording programs to both DVD and HD, and playing recorded programs. Most television stations insert commercial messages (hereinafter, “CMs”) in the main program. Conventional record/playback apparatuses, when recording a televised program to a recording medium, were configured to record the program to the recording medium as a single program, without distinguishing between the main program and CMs inserted in the main program.
In order to improve the usability of fast-forwarding CM portions, given that the majority of users who watch programs recorded on recording media will fast-forward these portions (portions in which CMs are recorded) when the playback position reaches CMs inserted in the main program, a record/playback apparatus has been proposed that is configured to detect CMs inserted in the main program during playback, and play the main program while automatically skipping the CMs. A record/playback apparatus has also been proposed that is configured to record only the main program to a recording medium when recording a televised program, without recording CMs inserted in the main program to the recording medium.
The above record/playback apparatuses are based on the idea that CMs inserted in the main program are of no value to the user and that the user will not watch the CMs. On the other hand, television stations that broadcast programs insert CMs in the main program in order to cover expenses such as program production costs and the like. Specifically, the CMs of sponsors are inserted in the main program and broadcast in exchange for making the sponsors bear expenses such as program production costs and the like. Sponsors bear expenses such as program production costs and the like in return for the advertising effect resulting from broadcasting CMs. Consequently, the sponsors want as many people as possible to watch the CMs in order to increase the advertising effect. Television stations similarly want as many people as possible to watch CMs, since sponsors reduce their cost burden related to CM broadcasts when the number of people watching CMs drops. In view of this, JP 2003-110980A proposes a system for suppressing the number of users who skip CMs during playback of recorded programs and getting a greater number of users to watch CMs, by inserting CMs in the main program that are of types and fields desired by the user.
However, while conventional apparatuses, in terms of usability, were able to playback a recorded program without the CMs, that is, continuously play just the main program, they were not able to continuously play just the CMs inserted in the main program. Thus, the user was not able to continuously watch just the CMs inserted in a recorded program. This factor contributed to the drop in users who watch CMs inserted in the main program. For example, even if the user only wanted to watch the CMs inserted in the main program for a change, he or she was not able to continuously play and watch just the CMs inserted in the main program.
An object of the present invention is to provide a record/playback apparatus that is not only able to continuously play just the main program of a recorded program, but can also continuously play just the CMs inserted in the main program, and thus get a greater number of users to watch the CMs inserted in the main program without reducing usability.